Knot tying instruments

ABSTRACT

Knot tying instruments are intended for use by surgeons for applying loops or knots in threads in the body of a patient. Each instrument has a pair of jaws or holders through which or around which a thread is passed. According to one construction the thread holders are attached to the ends of two elongated bars which are pivoted to provide a scissor-like structure. The opposite ends may have rings to be held by the fingers of the user. According to another construction the thread holders are firmly held by an elongated rod the opposite end of which carried a handle.

United States Patent [191 Santos 1 KNOT TYING INSTRUMENTS Sept. 10, 1974 2/1938 Great Britain 128/326 12/1955 Belgium 128/326 Primary ExaminerChanning L. Pace Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Richards & Geier [5 7 ABSTRACT Knot tying instruments are intended for use by surgeons for applying loops or knots in threads in the body of a patient. Each instrument has a pair of jaws or holders through which or around which a thread is passed. According to one construction the thread holders are attached to the ends of two elongated bars I which are pivoted to provide a scissor-like structure.

The opposite ends may have rings to be held by the fingers of the user. According to another construction the thread holders are firmly held by an elongated rod the opposite end of which carried a handle.

1 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures 1 KNOT TYING INSTRUMENTS This invention relates to knot tying instruments to be used by surgeons.

In surgery it is often necessary to close incisions by stitches or sutures while using a single thread. It is most inconvenient or even dangerous for the surgeon to pass his fingers into the wound for the tying of knots.

An object of the present invention is the provision of instruments which will make it possible for the surgeon to tie a knot at a distance from the patient or his wound and without touching the wound.

Other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the course of the following specification.

In the accomplishment of the objectives of the present invention it was found desirable to provide two holders located close to each other around which a thread is passed for the formation of a knot. The two holders can be formed as C-shaped hooks with the thread passing between the ends of the hooks. However, the holders can also have the shape of small cylinders carrying upper and lower flanges with the thread extending between the flanges. The formation of a knot is facilitated by the provision of a scissor-like body the ends of which carry the C-shaped hooks while its opposite ends serve as handles. However, the cylinder-like holders can be firmly fixed to an elongated rod provided with a handle.

Thus the primary objective of this instrument is to allow the surgeon to tie a knot in a wound to which access is through such a small opening that the surgeon would have difficulty to tie that knot with his fingers or with the use of other instruments. This instrument is to be used when the opening leading to the area where the knot to be tied is so small that the surgeon will have difficulty inserting his hands or fingers through such opening in order to tie the knot.

The invention will appear more clearly from the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing showing by way of ex ample only, preferred embodiments of the inventive idea. I

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an instrument constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the instrument shown in FIG.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged section along the line 3 3 of FIG. 2, illustrating the holders.

FIG. 4 is a side view of another instrument of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged partial front view along the line 5 5 of FIG. 4, illustrating the holders.

FIG. 6 is a section along the line 6 6 of FIG. 5, on an enlargedscale.

The instrument 10 shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 includes two elongated rods 11 and 12 which are joined intermediate their ends by a pivot 13. The pivot 13 is carried by two curved portions of the rod 11 which extend into corresponding cutouts provided in the rod 12. The rods 11 and 12 have longer parts 14 and 15 located on one side of the pivot 13, and shorter parts 16 and 17 located on the other side of the pivot 13. The part 16 extends at an angle to the part 14 and the part 17 extends at a similar angle to the part 15. As shown in FIG. 1, when the parts 14 and 15 are pressed against each other, the parts 16 and 17 will extend away from each other, forming a V.

The rod parts 14 and 15 have round handles 18 and 19 extending at an angle to them.

The ends of the rod parts 16 and 17 carry thread holders 20 and 21 respectively. Each thread holder has the shape of the letter C. The openings of the holders extend on opposite sides of the instrument. Each holder extends at an angle of about 45 to the main axis of the rod.

The instrument 23 shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 includes an elongated rod 24 one end of which carries a handle 25. Two thread holders 26 and 27 are rotatably mounted in a V-shaped carrier 28 which is firmly fixed to the opposite end of the rod 24. As shown in FIG. 6 each holder is rotatably mounted upon a pin 29 threaded into the carrier 28. Each holder consists of a sleeve 30 and two'flanges 31 and 32 located on opposite ends of the sleeve 30.

In this construction the thread extends around the holders 26 and 27 and is held thereon by the flanges provided in the holders.

The manner in which the knot is tied by use of these instruments is as follows:

The suture is put through the wound which is to receive the knot. The two ends of the suture are brought through the opening which leads into the wound. A knot is then tied above the opening. That knot is taken down to the wound by means of the instruments, by passing the ends of the suture through the C-shaped hooks, or passing the ends of the suture along the thread holders 26, and then pushing the knot down into the wound. The instrument 10 which works in a scissorlike fashion can then be used to tighten the knot.

In order to fix the knot in its position the surgeon can repeat this operation as many times as he wishes.

I claim:

1. A knot tying instrument, comprising two rod-like members which face each other and are located opposite each other in a common plane, each of said members comprising a longer part adapted to engage the same part of the other member, a shorter part extending at an obtuse angle to the longer part in said plane, and a central part, the central part of one member having curved portions extending into corresponding cutouts provided in the central part of the other member, a pivot extending through both central parts, opposed round handles carried by ends of said longer parts which are bent to one side of said plane, each of said shorter parts having a narrow end and a thread holder carried by said end, each of said thread holders being a C-shaped open ring extending outwardly at an angle of substantially 45 to the axis of its shorter part on the other side of said plane, the openings of said rings being located on opposite sides of the rod-like members, whereby, when the two longer parts are pressed one against the other, the two shorter parts extend outwardly of each other to form a V, while their rings extend away from them and from each other. 

1. A knot tying instrument, comprising two rod-like members which face each other and are located opposite each other in a common plane, each of said members comprising a longer part adapted to engage the same part of the other member, a shorter part extending at an obtuse angle to the longer part in said plane, and a central part, the central part of one member having curved portions extending into corresponding cutouts provided in the central part of the other member, a pivot extending through both central parts, opposed round handles carried by ends of said longer parts which are bent to one side of said plane, each of said shorter parts having a narrow end and a thread holder carried by said end, each of said thread holders being a C-shaped open ring extending outwardly at an angle of substantially 45* to the axis of its shorter part on the other side of said plane, the openings of said rings being located on opposite sides of the rod-like members, whereby, when the two longer parts are pressed one against the other, the two shorter parts extend outwardly of each other to form a V, while their rings extend away from them and from each other. 